On the night he won a Santa Monica City Council seat in 2004, Bobby Shriver, second from left, introduces members of his family -- sister Maria Shriver, second from right, and late mother, Eunice Shriver -- to guests at his election night party.

On the night he won a Santa Monica City Council seat in 2004, Bobby Shriver, second from left, introduces members of his family -- sister Maria Shriver, second from right, and late mother, Eunice Shriver -- to guests at his election night party. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

The nephew of late President John F. Kennedy has not formally announced he is running for the third district seat being vacated by termed-out Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, but Shriver is widely expected to enter the race.

Shriver, who filed his “candidate intention statement” on Jan. 3, has spent time observing the supervisors' weekly meetings and combing the county's budget, and is being advised by longtime friend Bill Carrick, a veteran Democratic consultant who led Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to victory last year.

Shriver’s entry in the race would immediately alter the dynamic of the contest -- the first election to be sparked by term limits instituted by voters -- because of his wealth, celebrity and anticipated fund-raising ability.

Former state lawmaker Sheila Kuehl has been running the longest and most public campaign for the seat, which represents two million people in a district stretching from the Pacific Ocean into the San Fernando Valley and to the Hollywood sign. She has raised more than $425,000, rolled out scores of endorsements and has been aggressively courting Democratic Party activists.

West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran and former Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich are also running.

The biggest question mark in the race is former City Controller Wendy Greuel, who has said she is considering running for the seat and is expected to make a decision soon.

The other seat up for grabs this year is that of termed-out Supervisor Gloria Molina. Former Obama administration Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has so far cleared the field of any major competition in that district. Two others who have filed candidate intention statements to run for the first district seat are El Monte Councilman Juventino Gomez and April Saucedo Hood.